


Light Up A Heavy Heart

by wulfeyes08



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Caring Hannibal Lecter, Domestic Fluff, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Fluff, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, References to Depression, Romance, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:49:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wulfeyes08/pseuds/wulfeyes08
Summary: “If I could, I would turn back time, I would heal every hurt inflicted upon you, but all I can tell you is to take as much time as you need to move past this. I’ll be here, every moment, every day, and we’ll do it together. There is no rush, mano meilé, there is only us. Whatever you need, you have only to ask.”
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 102





	Light Up A Heavy Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the tags and be warned that there is talk about suicide and depression.

Will sat alone in the backyard, the rain soaking into his hair and clothes as he stared off into the distance. Hannibal had felt a twinge of fear upon arriving home and finding it empty save for Chesapeake. They had come across someone in trouble today, and Will had tried to save him. He had had to take a taxi when Will had left with the car after speaking to the police. Now he moved across the yard, seeing how lost he was as he approached. “Will?” He said his name gently as he dropped down to one knee. “Will.” He reached out, palm sliding over his cheek and turning his head. He was freezing, lips blue, skin like ice and shivering. He wondered how long he had been there before he made it home. 

Heartbreak. Anger. Guilt. They filled his eyes, his very being pervaded by pain. “Hann…” he swallowed, “Hannibal?”

“Come with me.”

He shook his head, tried turning away, but Hannibal grabbed his face, forcing him to maintain eye contact. “Just leave me alone, I don’t want you.” Any other time those words would have stung, would have driven him to do something stupid, but he knew they were spoken out of Will's need to isolate himself.

“If you insist on staying out here, then I’ll have no choice but to stay as well.” 

Regret flashed through his eyes, a shuddering breath escaping his lungs. “I’m sorry.” 

Hannibal pressed their foreheads together. “It’s okay.” 

Will shook his head. “I…”

“Rain is cleansing, it washes away our sins and sorrows, breathing new life into our world. Did you come out here because you feel you need to wash something away?” Will nodded. “You are many things, mano meilé, but you are not at fault for what happened today. You blame yourself for things out of your control, you take on the burden of everyone else’s pain and leave no room for your own.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Come with me, you’re cold.”

Will nodded. “Okay…okay.”

Hannibal helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he guided him inside. Chesapeake greeted them, whining with worry. Will paused to pat him and the dog licked at his fingers. He mumbled another apology, allowing himself to be pulled to the bathroom. “Allow me to warm you.”

“Yeah.”

~

Hannibal sat behind Will in the tub, arms wrapped tightly around him, attempting to anchor him to this moment. Will’s head rested against his shoulder as he silently stared up at the ceiling. He was reliving what had happened, of catching a glimpse of the man on the bridge, Will’s voice yelling over the rain in a desperate attempt to talk him down, as the water raged below them. There were many things Will could handle, many things he could accept; murder, his own enjoyment of the kill, even torture, but loss was a completely different monster to confront. His empathy made him vulnerable, forced him to put himself into the shoes of others even when he didn’t want to. It was a bittersweet gift, one that wore at him mentally and emotionally until he was left a raw nerve of emotion.

“Talk to me, Will. What are you feeling right now?”

“Hate, I hate myself.”

Hannibal pressed a kiss to his temple. “I have hated myself more times than you would ever care to know.”

“Why?”

“My own regrets. Things I have done that I cannot undo.” He sighed. “We are both manipulative creatures, you and I, we slip easily into the lives of others, twist them and play with them until we no longer need them, but there are moments when we cross the line, when we hurt what is most important to us.” He pulled the water up and over Will’s chest, helping to warm him. “This was not one of those moments, Will.”

“I only…if I…”

“You did.” He gently grabbed his chin and turned his head, seeing the conflict clear as day. “There’s something else.”

“I realized I could have been him before you. It was like a hard, ugly slap to the face, a sudden realization that I had felt that incredible loneliness, like a hole had opened in me and created a void that would never be filled. I was swallowed up by his grief and emptiness, I could see he wasn’t hearing me, but I was so desperate just to make it stop…for him and for me.”

Hannibal kissed him, a brief, gentle caress of the lips. He reached down, taking Will’s hand and lifting it, pressing another to his ring finger. “I’m your husband, you do not have to bear the burden of your pain alone.”

He rested his forehead against Hannibal’s. “I know.”

~

Hannibal sat against the headboard of their bed, a book in one hand that he was softly reading out loud while he ran his fingers through Will’s hair. He was asleep, head resting on Hannibal’s sternum. The emotional overload had exhausted him, causing him to crash the moment they were settled under the covers. Chesapeake lay at their feet, head resting on Will’s calf. He stayed there, projecting tenderness and tranquility, hoping Will could feel his affection even in his sleep.

He slipped slowly out of bed some time later, easing Will into a comfortable position and pulling the covers up over his shoulders. He was frowning in his sleep, brow knit, and he mumbled something, an unhappy sound bordering on distress. He left him there in the care of Chesapeake, leaving the bedroom door open as he made his way out and to the kitchen. He knew Will would stay in a state of melancholia if he didn’t do something to help. He boiled cinnamon sticks and orange peels on the stove, turning the mix down to simmer once it started filling the house with its calming scent. The smell drew Chesapeake out, and Hannibal stopped to scratch the dog’s head and give him a piece of sausage. He put on some Satie, and the silence was soon filled by Gymnopedie No.1. Chesapeake went back to the bedroom, and Hannibal made his way back to the kitchen, deciding that just this once he would make dessert for lunch.

~

He woke Will gently, lips pressing to his temple then his cheek, causing him to stir and open his eyes. He looked confused and slowly sat up. “What’s that smell?” His voice was rough from sleep.

“You tell me.” Hannibal replied softly.

“Um…cinnamon, orange, and…something else.”

“Apple and ginger.”

“Oh...and music?” He looked around. “What’s happening?”

“Come with me and I’ll show you.”

“Yeah, alright.”

Chesapeake followed them out of the room, and into the living room, curling up next to the coffee table while Hannibal sat Will down on the couch. He already had their food there and handed a plate to Will. “You should eat.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Try it.”

Will looked into his eyes, then down at his plate. “What is it?” 

“An apple and ginger crumble.”

“No long-winded description?”

“I could go over every ingredient if you wish.” 

Will shook his head. “That’s okay.” He played with it with his fork for a moment, but finally cut off a piece and stuck it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, swallowed, and nodded. “It’s good.” 

“Would you try eating it all for me?”

“It’d be incredibly rude of me to waste it, wouldn’t want you getting any ideas about how I might taste.” 

“It was your rude personality that first caught my attention and besides, I already know what you taste like.” That won him a small, near imperceptible smile. 

“I guess you do, doctor.”

~

Hannibal finished eating first, and took his dishes to the kitchen while Will slowly picked at his own food. He seemed deep in thought behind the mental and emotional exhaustion, so he took his time switching off the stove and making them something to drink. He came back to Will having finished most of it, his plate sitting on the table.

“Here.” He held out a glass and Will took it. “It’s bourbon, warmed and sweetened with honey.”

“Trying to get me drunk?” 

Hannibal smiled. “There are no ulterior motives, not today at least.”

“That’s too bad, I think I could use an ulterior motive today.” He huffed out a little laugh, and took a drink. 

Hannibal took a sip of his own then sat it down and stood. He held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Will stared up at him, contemplating the request, and he sat his own glass down, taking Hannibal’s hand and slowing himself to be pulled to his feet. They moved away from the couch, Hannibal pulling him in. Will seemed content to let him lead, moving with him. “I’ll be okay.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“I appreciate all of this, everything you’re doing. You don’t have to do so much.”

“I want to, because I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

“If I could, I would turn back time, I would heal every hurt inflicted upon you, but all I can tell you is to take as much time as you need to move past this. I’ll be here, every moment, every day, and we’ll do it together. There is no rush, mano meilé, there is only us. Whatever you need, you have only to ask.”

“I know, thank you.” Will leaned in, kissing him, Hannibal smiling against his lips. Whether it took days or even weeks, he would continue to remind Will that he wasn’t alone, that he wouldn’t let him fall into that void without a fight.


End file.
